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Duke Ellington
' Edward Kennedy' "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American composer, pianist and band leader of jazz orchestras. He led his orchestra from 1923 until his death, his career spanning over 50 years. Born in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based in New York City from the mid-1920s onward, and gained a national profile through his orchestra's appearances at the Cotton Club. In the 1930s, his orchestra toured in Europe. Though widely considered to have been a pivotal figure in the history of jazz, Ellington himself embraced the phrase "beyond category" as a "liberating principle", and referred his music to the more general category of "American Music", rather than to a musical genre such as "jazz". Tossup Questions # A twenty-seven chorus tenor saxophone solo by Paul Gonsalves is a showpiece of this composer's "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival. Another piece by this composer is a symphony in three movements depicting the history of the Negro in America, Black, Brown, and Beige. He notably collaborated with Billy Strayhorn on "Satin Doll" and a song which instructs the listener "to go to Sugar Hill way up in Harlem," "Take the 'A' Train." For 10 points, name this American pianist and bandleader who wrote "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)." # This musician performed "Festival Junction" and other pieces alongside Paul Gonsalves and Johnny Hodges at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival. One song by this musician tells how the singer always gets the title feeling, which he attributes to a color, ever since his "baby said goodbye." One of this musician's pieces was inspired by a trip to his collaborator's house in New York. This man's band recorded a version of the song "Caravan." This composer of "Mood Indigo" frequently wrote his pieces with Billy Strayhorn, including his most famous piece, and this man's band played at the Cotton Club. For 10 points, name this pianist and bandleader who wrote "Take the 'A' Train." # One performer in this man's band, Juan Tizol, wrote the songs "Perdido" and "Caravan." This man, who wrote a suite based on African-American history, "Black, Brown, and Beige," co-wrote the song "Chelsea Bridge" with his most frequent collaborator. This composer and bandleader frequently worked with Billy Strayhorn in writing such standards as "Mood Indigo" and "Sophisticated Lady." He wrote a song that describes the title action as being "the quickest way to get to Harlem." For 10 points, name this jazz pianist who wrote "Take the A Train." # This composer's Kentucky Club Orchestra featured trumpeter "Bubber" Miley, who helped this man compose "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo," an example of his "jungle" style. This composer premiered an orchestral suite as "a tone parallel to the history of the Negro in America" at Carnegie Hall, his Black, Brown and Beige. While working at the Cotton Club, this man became famous for his composition "Mood Indigo," and he worked with Billy Strayhorn to produce "Take the 'A' Train." For 10 points, name this American jazz pianist and big band leader, composer of "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing." # In The Swing Era, Gunther Schuller claims this musician's recording of "Slippery Horn" was the first to feature a trombone trio, made possible by the addition of Lawrence Brown to his band. Adelaide Hall sang a wordless vocal melody in his "Creole Love Call". His solo spotlights for his sidemen include "Cotton Tail" for Ben Webster and "Concerto for Cootie" for Cootie Williams. One of his compositions unusually alters Dixieland voicing in placing the trumpet and trombone above the clarinet. He often collaborated with composer Billy Strayhorn, who wrote his band's signature song. For 10 points, name this bandleader at the Cotton Club, whose hits included "Mood Indigo", "Take the 'A' Train", and "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)".